WEST LAFAYETTE — Matt Painter took over as Purdue's head coach two seasons before John Beilein left West Virginia to take over at Michigan.

Over the decade-plus since, Painter has watched the Wolverines evolve and morph into one of the elite programs not only in the Big Ten Conference but nationally. In recent seasons, with his own team winning a Big league title and challenging for national prominence, Michigan emerged as a specific kind of barometer.

"When they first came into the league they were so good offensively, but they weren't as good defensively," Painter said. "And quite frankly, they weren't as tough as they are now.

As Purdue opens its Big Ten season at Crisler Center on Saturday, it has not yet proven itself in that factor. In losses to Virginia Tech and Florida State, the Boilermakers looked rattled in key stretches of the game and left feeling they had allowed a victory to slip away.

Saturday's game in Ann Arbor represents the only meeting between two of the Big Ten's most successful programs of the last five seasons. It also comes as Purdue, having lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds at Florida State on Wednesday, seeks to apply the same attributes it sees in Michigan to itself.

"They're very disciplined," senior forward Grady Eifert said. "They're not going to foul you. They know their roles on the team and they play together as a unit."

Prior to last season, a Boilermaker team hadn't won in Ann Arbor since 2012. That included a February 2017, when a Caleb Swanigan-led team on its way to the Big Ten title dropped the program's fourth straight game there. Two weeks later, Michigan knocked top seed Purdue out of the Big Ten Tournament, then went on to win the title.

Last season, Purdue beat Michigan twice during its 19-game winning streak and climb to the No. 3 position in the national polls.

In Ann Arbor last Jan. 9, with the score tied in the final seconds, the Boilermakers set up a play for senior center Isaac Haas. He drew a foul and split the free throws for a 70-69 victory.

When the Wolverines came to Mackey Arena 16 days later, a very different game unfolded. Vincent Edwards hit five free throws in the final 16 seconds to seal a frantic 92-88 victory. Purdue swept a home-and-home from Michigan for the first time since 2008.

Timing is everything, however. By the time of the teams' meeting in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, their respective trajectories had begun to flip.

Purdue had dipped a bit from its impressive peak. Edwards was trying to play his third game in as many days on an unhealthy ankle. Michigan, surging after victories over a 23-win Nebraska team and league champion Michigan State, won 75-66 at Madison Square Garden.

The game was not as close as that score would indicate.

Timing, among other factors, again seems to favor the Wolverines. Michigan has walloped everyone thus far, including a 27-point victory at Villanova. (If you need further perspective on how impressive that is, the Wildcats last week beat the same Florida State team that beat Purdue on Wednesday.)

Wednesday night, North Carolina came to Ann Arbor averaging almost 97 points per game with a No. 11 national ranking. Michigan held the Tar Heels to 0.96 points per possession in an 84-67 victory.

The Wolverines no longer have Moritz Wagner or Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman — two players who gave Purdue problems in the past.

What Michigan does have is, perhaps, the best defense in the Big Ten. The Wolverines' veteran guards, beginning with point guard Zavier Simpson, apply solid ball pressure and switch effectively in front of Teske.

CLOSE

The Boilermakers' senior forward on why Michigan has been so tough defensively through seven games.
Nathan Baird, jconline.com

That's a challenge for Purdue, considering that when the game turned in both losses this season, a lack of poise of offense played a role.

"We have to remain calm," sophomore center Matt Haarms said. "We can't get into their crowd and being loud and jack up a bad shot. We have to continue moving the ball, continue getting the ball to the other side, continue to get the ball in the paint.

"We get the (analytics) numbers and when we get the ball inside and move to the other side and get the defense moving, we're a really good offensive team. But when we don't, we're horrible."

Offensive lapses led to defensive breakdowns in both of this season's losses. That threat grows Saturday. Haarms said Purdue's walk-throughs the week of Michigan games area often the team's longest, as the Boilermakers try to prepare for the myriad sets they might face.

And yet.

"Last year in the Big Ten Tournament they decided not to run any of that stuff against us," Haarms said. "They just took us one-on-one all game. You've got to be ready for that as well."

Nathan Baird reports on Purdue men's basketball for the Journal & Courier. Contact him at nbaird@jconline.com or 765-420-5234. Follow him on Twitter: @nbairdjc